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Saturday, December 31, 2011

I want to thank each of you for being loyal followers of my blog. It would bless me a lot if you would tell everyone you know who likes to read about it. You will help Christian fiction reach a larger market.

And I pray blessings on you and your family in 2012

Robyn (NE) is the winner of Warring Spirits by April W Gardner.Edwina (GA) is the winner of Ashes to Beauty by Kim Zweygardt.Salena (TX) is the winner of Cabin on Pinto Creek by A J Hawke.Katie G (NC) is the winner of Hailee, by Penny Zeller.

Sinceso many of you left me comments about my Christmas story, I chose one of you to win one of my Christmas books.

Lorna Faith (Alberta)is the winner.If you won a book and you really like it, consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites.

Congratulations, everyone. Send me your mailing address:Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.When you contact me, please give the title of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.

Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.If you didn't win and you plan to order the book, please use the link provided on the individual interview. By using that link when you order, you will help support this blog.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Welcome, Jean. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Sometimes too much, but my critique partners are quick to
point out when that happens.

I love those critique partners who can keep me on the right
track. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
I had to consult my family on this one. They said people are always surprised
at my love of rollercoasters. The bigger the better and if they go out over
water, perfect! Normally, I’m pretty wimpy about heights and anything that goes
fast.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?
It seems like I’ve always been a writer. I was on the high school newspaper
staff and had an essay on my family’s Christmas traditions published in the Buffalo
Evening News when I was a senior. From THE high school paper, I moved on to
my college newspaper (I was a journalism major), followed short stints at the Batavia (NY) DailyNews and the Montebello (CA) News, and then to my current
job with a financial publisher in Albany,
NY.

My first published piece was in the college literary
magazine. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I primarily read romance. Historicals are my favorite. But I also like women’s
fiction and nonromance historical novels.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
I’m not sure I do. Sunday church service and coffee hour afterwards really help
me unwind before the next week starts. We regularly sing a hymn I particularly
like, ‘Come and Findthe QuietCenter.’

How do you choose your characters’ names?
Sometimes I name characters after people I know. Other times, the characters
come to me with their own names.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Publishing my books.

What is your favorite food?

Ice cream, just about any flavor but coffee. My second
favorite food is broccoli.

Broccoli and ice cream. That would make a good character
trait for in a novel. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest
roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
Time and giving my novel writing the priority it should have are my biggest roadblocks.
I put in about nine hours a weekday at my day job. Since that’s not something I
can change right now, I’ve been working on prioritizing the rest of my time and
tasks.

Tell us about the featured book.

I got a germ of an idea for Small-Town Sweethearts when a family member told me she liked her
new church because the members were more standoffish and private. From that
germ, the story evolved:

With the help of God and the love of Drew Stacey, a
down-sized Wall Street analyst turned church camp manager, NYC assistant art
director and former town misfit Emily, ne Jinx, Hazard finds the thing she
wants most in the place she least wants to be —
Paradox Lake. Through having to be responsible for her niece, interaction with
the towns’ people, and falling in love with Drew, she learns the meaning of
Christian fellowship.

Like all of my books, Small-Town Sweethearts is set in my native Update New York.

Please give us the first page of the book.

The
thrumming in her head started at the EssexCounty line and
crescendoed into a pounding by the time she’d reached Route 74. She wiped one
hand, then the other on her jeans and gripped the steering wheel of her rented
SUV. She was in control. She was Emily Hazard, assistant art director at an
award-winning New York City
advertising agency. Not Emily Hazard, the klutz-queen jinx-deluxe of SchroonLakeCentralHigh School.

She
drove through Hazardtown, the four corners community in New
York’s Adirondack Mountains that
her ancestors had settled two centuries ago. Little remained to show the
once-bustling logging town it had once been. A new name on the diner told her
it had changed ownership again. The gas station convenience store proclaimed
“Souvenirs Here” in a big red, white, and blue roadside sign. Kitty corner, the
CommunityChurch sat as it had for the past one
hundred and fifty years with its double entry doors that had originally
separated the women parishioners from the men. As a teen, Emily had made a
point of entering through the “men’s” door. The new-ish brick volunteer fire
department building occupied the fourth corner. Ironically, the old clapboard
hall had burned down when she was in college.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Thursday, December 29, 2011

So glad to have you back, Debra. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write
about?

Looking at the heart of a person and not the outward
appearance. Struggling to trust God. I love what my mom says about that… Trust
Him even when it’s the hardest thing to do, trust Him. Putting Him first. My
newly adopted motto is, I AM SECOND. There’s actually a website about that.
Here’s the link… www.iamsecond.com There are some great testimonies on there
about people who have been through tragedies and how they learned to put God
first and themselves second.

I’m familiar with the I
Am Second website. Josh Hamilton, who is a member of my church (but I haven’t
met him personally) is on there, too. What other books of yours are coming out
soon?

Groom Wanted, is scheduled for release in August 2012. It’s
the sequel to, The Unlikely Wife, which is the sequel to, The Unexpected Bride.

We must schedule it on my blog. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person
(not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

Soul Surfer Bethany
Hamilton. She is a huge inspiration to me. Her dream was to be a professional
surfer and then a shark attacked her. Not once did she get angry at God about
losing her arm. Bethany’s
heart is to serve God in all that she does. She’s a woman who isn’t a quitter
and one who doesn’t sit around feeling sorry for herself. Because of her
putting God first, she went on to live out her dream of becoming a professional
surfer—with one arm.

I just bought that DVD for James for Christmas. We’ll watch
it soon. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Jane Austen. I would love to see if the things she wrote
about were really how things were back then, or if they were just a figment of
her imagination.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only
rejections from publishers?

Never give up. I believe every author goes through rejections.
I remember reading about one lady in particular who got rejected 47 times and
yet she continued to submit. Now her books are doing quite well.

Tell us about the featured book?

Back cover blurb:

The arrival of Michael Bowen’s bride, married sight unseen by
proxy, sends the rancher reeling. With her trousers, cowboy hat and rifle, she
looks like a female outlaw—not the genteel lady he corresponded with for
months. He’s been hoodwinked into marriage with the wrong woman!

Selina Farleigh Bowen loved Michael’s letters, even if she couldn’t
read them herself. A friend read them to her, and wrote her replies—but
apparently that “friend” left things out, like Michael’s
dream of a wife who was nothing like her. Selina won’t change who she is, not
even for the man she loves. Yet time might show Michael the true value of his
unlikely wife.

Sounds interesting. Please give us the first page of the
book.

This has to be a nightmare.

Standing in front of Michael Bowen
at Paradise Haven's train station was the woman who claimed to be his wife. His
eyes traveled up and down the length of her. Instead of a dress, she wore a red
scarf draped around her neck, a black cowboy hat with a stampede string, black
cowboy boots and brown loose-fitting trousers. In her hands she held a Long Tom
black powder rifle.

A rifle? The woman was holding a
rifle. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't pull his gaze away from the
weapon that was nearly as long as she was tall.

Michael bore down on his teeth
until he thought his jaw would snap. Even with her heart-shaped face, stunning
smile and beautiful brown eyes, the person standing before him looked more like
a female outlaw on a wanted poster than the genteel lady he had been
corresponding with for the past five months. The woman he had fallen deeply and
passionately in love with. The woman he had legally married sight unseen.

This woman was nothing like what
he'd expected. Nothing. There had to be some mistake. There just had to be.

I can’t wait to get my copy. How can readers find you on the
Internet?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A: April Love has
always dreamed of being a chef. When her Aunt Kitty hears of a in-house chef
position for a non-profit organization housed in a lakeshore mansion next door,
April returns to Canoga Lake, Wisconsin, where she’d spent many summers growing
up, to apply for the job. When she discovers her former fiancé Marc Thorne
working there, she wonders if this position was really God’s intention for her.
After all, Marc all but left her standing at the altar to chase his own dreams
in California. It doesn’t take long to realize Marc is hiding secrets and
despite returning feelings for the man, April determines she will not make the
same mistake as she did eight years earlier. But when their boss is found dead
and Marc is framed for his murder, April has no choice but to turn sleuth to
keep Marc from being accused of a murder he didn’t commit.

Q: What made you want to write this book?

A: I’ve always loved
romance and mysteries, and decided to write a story that married the two
elements together. I grew up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and have always been
fascinated by the many 20th Century mansions that dot the lake’s
shoreline. I toyed with the idea of setting the story in one of those homes,
but decided to create a smaller lake and village just to the east of Lake
Geneva to gain more freedom with some of the details of the story and its
characters. I loved having the area located close enough to Lake Geneva that
April and Marc could go there for a meal at one of the actual restaurants
there. I also gave them backgrounds that involve working on Geneva Lake as many
college students do during the summer months.

Q: Have you always wanted to be
a writer?

A: In one way or
another I’ve always written almost since I could hold a pencil. When I was
eight years old I asked for a diary for Christmas and I wrote in it at
different times of my childhood. I still have that little book and it contains
bits and pieces of my life from age eight until sometime in high school. Even
into my adult years I’d journal from time to time, but never thought of turning
that “need” to put words to paper into a career until years later. While
completing my bachelor’s through an accelerated adult program, one of my
professors suggested I could make a living writing. I published several
magazine articles, but as the hankering to write stories grew stronger, I began
taking fiction writing classes. At a local writer’s conference a multipublished
author suggested I could turn one of my short stories into a novel. That was
all I needed to hear. I soon joined American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) while the organization was in its infancy
and through their writing courses and conferences I continued to grow in the
craft.

Q: Have you written other novels besides Thyme for Love?

Oh yes. My first novel which I would classify as a women’s
fiction languishes in my computer at the moment. Authors very seldom publish
their first written work as that often turns out to be a practice project. The
storyline still resonates with me and I’d love to one day pull it out and
rework it. There are a couple other stories that will probably never see the
light of day. I’m very excited to have a novel set in my hometown of Lake
Geneva, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, coming out in June 2012 from
Summerside Press. It’s a 1933 historical romance, and I had a blast researching
for the story.

Q. Do you have any plans for a sequel to Thyme for Love?

A. I’m so glad you asked. Thyme for Love is part of a
three-book series called “On the Road to Love.” Books 2 and 3 involved April
and Marc, and both are set in Canoga Lake. In Book 2, Love Will Find a Way, April moves into an old Victorian home with
plans to turn it into a restaurant and catering business. It isn’t long before
a discovery made while they are renovating the home threatens to hijack plans
for the grand opening. In Book three, Love’s
Reward, April and Marc’s wedding plans are in full swing, until it becomes
apparent there is someone who doesn’t want them to marry.

Q. How do you get your story ideas?

A. There’s an old adage to write what you know. I might add
to that, to always keep your eyes and ears open for a possible story line. That
first novel I wrote was sparked by something someone said to me when she showed
me a picture of my great-grandfather’s grave. My Love Finds You in Lake Geneva,
Wisconsin, story grew out of wanting to know the history behind the beautiful
lakeshore recreational building that has become an icon of the area. Just today
a newspaper article sparked an idea I’d like to develop into a proposal.

Q. What is your daily writing routine?

A. My best writing time is morning, but I’ve had to make myself
work outside the box at times when that kind of schedule doesn’t work. Since I
am a morning person, I find it best to set my alarm as if I’m going to work. I
get up at 5:30 and spend at least an hour in my Quiet Time with God. Then I try
to walk daily for exercise before settling down in my home office to write. I
recently converted unused space in my dining are into an office and that has
helped tremendously with getting the sense of “going to work.” This helps me
stay on task. Too many years actually working Monday through Friday probably
contributes to that. On days I have an obligation away from home in the
morning, I have had to force myself to be creative in the afternoon and early
evening. I think as I start working on deadlines more and more that’s going to
be essential.

Q. What advice do you have for new authors?

A. Persevere, persevere, and persevere. I started out
aspiring to be published in novel writing more than ten years ago. I had the
raw ability and desire to write, but that skill had to be trained and honed,
much like a young colt has to be trained. I have learned that writers need to
develop what we jokingly refer to as rhino skin and also we need a positive
teachable attitude. Join critique groups, take writing courses, attend writing
conferences where great teaching occurs and you’ll have opportunities to meet
with industry professionals and pitch to editors and agents. ACFW has a great
yearly conference ever September that is for fiction writers only. I cannot
tout ACFW enough. It is a must organization to join for anyone who writes
fiction from a Christian point of view.

Q. When you aren’t writing, what fills your days?

A. I volunteer at my church in the multicultural ministry,
helping Japanese women learn to speak English and lead a women’s small group
Bible study. I’m also chapter president of my local ACFW chapter which meets
monthly. Also, I enjoy reading (surprise, surprise) and movies. Love to cook
and find new ways of making things. You’ll find an adaptation of a recipe someone
gave me called Chicken George at the back of Thyme for Love. I loved having
April prepare it in the novel, and look forward to experimenting with more
recipes for the sequels.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

History and research are my passions. I have a collection of
family memoirs dating back to the American Revolution, and became interested in
fiction when I realized all the memoirs were written by men. In order to learn
what women’s lives were like, I turned the stories into novels.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest
day in your life?

When I was baptized. In my church, we baptize by immersion.
I’ll never forget the joy I felt when I came up out of the water. It’s been
thirty-some years, but whenever I think about that occasion, I feel the joy
anew.

How has being published changed your life?

Being published has made my life much busier! No one tells
you ahead of time how many things other than writing there are to do once you
have books out there. The marketing, which includes blogging, social
networking, book signings, and more, takes so much time—as you well know. I
love what I do, so it’s all good, but there are days when I wish I had a few
hours to just kick back and read a book all afternoon. J

I know what you mean, but I love connecting with readers. What are you reading right now?

Liz Curtis Higgs’ Mine
is the Night. I’m loving it. Along with the first book in the series, Here Burns my Candle, it’s a fascinating
re-telling of the story of Ruth and Naomi.

What is your current work in progress?

A novel for Revell titled When the Heart Heals. It’s Book 2 in the Sisters At Heart series,
and continues the stories of Faith, Rosemary, and Cassie.

What would be your dream vacation?

My dream is to have the time and the money to tour every one
of the lower 48 states (I’ve already been to Alaska twice). My husband and I have visited
a number of states, both for research and pleasure, and I’ve enjoyed seeing the
regional differences in our beautiful country. Oh, to visit them all! I can
dream, can’t I?

How do you choose your settings for each book?

My series have been inspired by the lives of my female ancestors,
so the settings are chosen from family history.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is
currently alive, who would it be and why?

Franklin Graham. I’d love to talk with him about the origins
of Samaritan’s Purse.

James and I have followed Franklin's ministry for years. We were very active in the Christmas Box program. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I collect antique kitchen and laundry implements, and also
keep an eye out for unusual Vaseline glass pieces when I go antiquing. I enjoy trying
new recipes, puttering in my flower garden, and riding dirt bikes. (The dirt
bike part isn’t true—I just realized I sound kind of boring, so thought I’d add
something with a little spark. J)

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you
overcome it?

Staying away from email and Facebook requires a ton of
discipline when I’m writing. The other obstacle is interruptions. Some days are
shattered by multiple phone calls. Aargh.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

This is so basic, but “don’t quit” is the best advice I can
give. Perseverance is the key to being published. Constantly improve your craft
with each rejection and then resubmit.

Tell us about the featured book.

The War Between the States stole a father and brother from
Faith Lindberg—as well as Royal Baxter, the man she wanted to marry. With only
her grandfather left, she dreams of leaving Noble Springs,
Missouri, and traveling west to Oregon to start a new
life, away from the memories that haunt her. But first she must convince her
grandfather to sell the family's mercantile and leave a town their family has
called home for generations.

When
Royal Baxter suddenly returns, Faith allows herself to hope that she and Royal
will finally wed. But does he truly love her? Or will another man claim her heart?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Noble Springs, Missouri, March 1866

“You can do
this,” Faith Lindberg told herself as she gazed into the hall mirror and
straightened her bonnet. “After all, it’s only for a short time.” Once she
gathered the courage to talk to Grandpa about her plans, she knew they’d be
leaving Noble Springs.

She
slipped her well-worn copy of Randolph Marcy’s The Prairie Traveler into her carryall. Her grandfather said he
wanted her to take over managing the store. He hadn’t said she couldn’t spend
time reading when there were no customers.

The
onyx mantel clock in their parlor chimed the half hour. Grandpa had been very
specific—meet him at eight o’clock and he’d show her what to do before
Lindberg’s Mercantile opened for the day’s business.

Faith
hurried out the door, grateful that the morning sun promised a pleasant day
after a week of rain. Maybe she wouldn’t have to bother with lighting the
store’s cranky wood-burning stove. Its warmth drew elderly gossipers the way a
freshly iced cake drew bees.

I'll love reading this book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Monday, December 26, 2011

I had a wonderful Christmas holiday with all my family yesterday, so I'm a little later getting a start today.

I'm thrilled to have Elizabeth Camden back with us. I loved The Lady of Bolton Hill, so I know I'll enjoy reading this book as well. Welcome, Elizabeth. Why do you write the
kind of books you do?

I write the kind of books I enjoy reading. I always aim for a brisk pace that features
highly intelligent characters who are plunged into profound emotional
conflicts. Although I love imbuing my
stories with interesting historical detail and plot twists, the romance will
always be front and center in my books.
My ideal reader is someone who loves a good stormy romance, but also
wants glimpses of wit, delight, and joy sprinkled into the mix.

Besides when you came
to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

I can’t point to a single day. Every now and then, usually when I am doing something
terribly mundane like tending the garden, I will suddenly be swamped with a profound
feeling of well-being, even joy. C.S. Lewis
has written a lot about the concept of joy, and he speculates that these feelings
are when we experience the transcendent, the glimpse of the eternal that is only
fleetingly available. For me, these feelings
of joy have no association with grand events or spectacular entertainment……they
come upon me during simple, mundane times. I wonder if it is because this is when I let my
guard down and become open to the blessings that have been showered on me.

How has being published
changed your life?

I used to have a lot of fear. Even though I loved writing, I desperately wanted
to share it with someone, and I feared I never would. A different sort of fear overcomes a writer when
they know their writing is going to hit
the streets and there will be people who don’t care for it, but I can handle that.

What are you reading right
now?

My Reading Life, by Pat Conroy; Dark Fever by Karen Marie Moning, and Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger.

How do you choose your
settings for each book?

I love the gilded age, but I also love writing about women who
had some sort of a career. This funnels me
toward an urban setting.

If you could spend an
evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

I think I would choose Condoleezza Rice. Despite her phenomenal accomplishments, (concert
pianist, fluent in Russian, provost of StanfordUniversity,
Secretary of State, etc.) she seems like a friendly and genuinely humble person.
She also knows everyone, had been everywhere.
I’ve seen her on interviews, and she is equally
conversant in foreign policy or football. I really admire people like that.

What is your most difficult
writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

For many years I suffered from the same malaise that afflicts
the majority of unpublished writers. I didn’t
have a distinctive voice. When I first started
writing, I emulated the writers who I adored the most. I think this is pretty common and not necessarily
a bad thing. It helped me learn the craft,
but frankly, those early manuscripts are not publishable. My hunch
is that agents and editors read the first few pages and simply didn’t see anything
fresh to offer. It took me a while to screw
up the courage and start to give free reign to a more distinctive voice that naturally
emerged after a few years of “starter-manuscripts.”

What advice would you
give to a beginning author?

Learn how to have a constructive relationship with rejection.
The odds are extremely high that you will
go through a fair amount of rejection before finally getting The Call. This is actually a good thing. The few times I have heard seasoned authors who
got published on their first manuscript, they inevitably end up saying they wished
that book had stayed in their closet. I’ve
got a couple of those. When I wrote them,
I thought they were fabulous, and I couldn’t understand why they weren’t getting
agents to pound down my door. After I got
over those instinctive defensive reactions, I carefully analyzed my writing, my
voice, and what I could offer an already saturated market. I actually began to take more risks in putting
something fresh and different into my writing.

Tell us about the featured
book.

The Rose of Winslow Street is set in 1879. Libby Sawyer’s quiet, respectable life in Colden, Massachusetts, is
shattered when a bold stranger from Romania invades her world. In short order, Michael Dobrescu seizes her house
and declares ownership in an attempt to unravel a century-old mystery that is hidden
deeply within the house. Fascinated by this
enigmatic man, Libby uncovers layers of mystery surrounding Mr. Dobrescu’s amazing past….and his plans for the
future in which she plays a startling role.

The Rose of Winslow Street is a celebration of manhood. I think all women secretly long for a man who adores
children, sets his woman on a pedestal, and will lay his life on the line for a
cause he believes in. These qualities can
oftentimes come bundled with a heavy dose of things that drive women nuts. I wanted to write a book that is open-minded about
this sort of raw, brawny man. Michael Dobrescu
is a brash, brawny hero who alternately makes Libby weak at the knees or want to
throw him out of the house for his sometimes thoughtless, blunt masculine demeanor.
He was hugely fun to write!

Please give us the first
page of the book.

Colden Massachusetts, 1879

The stately houses of Winslow Street looked utterly safe and respectable
in the hot summer twilight. Mikhail knew
all that was about to change.

He surveyed the neighborhood through the carriage window’s
narrow opening. Immense sycamore trees sheltered
the homes, with only the chattering of a few sparrows to break the tranquility of
the evening. A trickle of perspiration slid down the side of
Mikhail’s face and his fist tightened around the club on his belt. Beside him, Lady Mirela remained rigid as the carriage
bumped and rolled over the gently worn cobblestones. Everything about this neighborhood spoke of wealth,
stability, and decorum. It hardly looked
like a place for the pitched battle that was about to occur.

On the opposite
bench his two boys were playing a game of thumb-wrestling, oblivious to the turmoil
roiling inside Mikhail, for he had always sheltered the children from the danger
and uncertainty that was so much a part of his world. His gaze flicked to Turk. The man’s bulk could barely fit inside the tight
confines of the carriage. The wooden box
cradled in Turk’s ham-sized fists looked ridiculously delicate, but the contents
of that box were too precious to be jostled with the rest of the family’s belongings
piled atop the lumbering carriage. The only
ornamentation on the box was the elegant brass hinges that held the lid securely
closed. Nothing about it’s plain appearance
hinted at the priceless vials stored within.

The carriage slowed to a halt and Andrei
looked up eagerly. “Are we here?” he asked,
excitement brimming in the twelve-year olds’ eyes.

Did the boy’s voice just crack a bit?
It was the second time Mikhail had noticed
that husky tone breaking through the childish voice, indicating his son was on the
verge of becoming a man. Normally Mikhail’s
heart would have swelled with pride at the symbol of his son’s impending manhood,
but not this evening.

“Yes, we are here,” Mikhail said, forcing
his voice to remain calm as he gazed at a stately house, looming three stories tall
in the gathering darkness. An elegant wrought
iron fence surrounded the property, but it there was no lock on the gate. Embellished with fancy scrolls and spindly bars,
the fence was for decoration, not protection. Such a useless gate spoke volumes about the sense
of security these people took for granted. His mouth thinned and years of training urged him
to wrap his hand around the revolver tucked in his pocket, but he stifled the impulse.
Tonight called for clear-headed courage,
not brute force. He looked at Andrei. “I want you to stay in the carriage and look out
for Lady Mirela, is that clear?”

Andrei would probably rather look after
a hive of bees than stay with the ominously silent woman who accompanied them, but
Mikhail gave the boy no choice. “Okay,” Andrei
finally said.

Mikhail locked eyes with Turk, the only
other person in the carriage who understood the magnitude of what they were up against
this evening. “Guard the box,” he said to Turk as he twisted
the handle of the carriage. “I will take
only Joseph with me. There is no need for
too much manpower on our first approach. Tonight, we will rely on the law to get what we
want. Force is our last resort,” he said
as he stepped down into the street. The well-being
of his entire family depended upon the next few minutes, and Mikhail’s eyes were
like chips of granite as he stepped out of the carriage.

The green, woodsy scent of hawthorn
trees surrounded him as he emerged from the carriage. It was a good omen, yes? A place that smelled this fine would surely be
a safe place to bring his family to live.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Lourdes (NY) is the winner of Christmas at Barncastle Inn by Darlene Franklin. (I just finished reading this book, and it is very good.Joanna Richmond (NC) is the winner of Caught Between Two Worlds by A J Hawke.A J Hawke (TX) is the winner of His Holiday Family by Margaret Daley.Ingrid (IL) is the winner of Bread Upon the Water, by Deanna K Klingel.Anonymous (teddy) (TX) is the winner of The Christmas Witness by Susan Sleeman.Ali (NY is the winner of Honor Redeemed by Loree Lough.If you won a book and you really like it, consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites.

Also, tell your friends about the book and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. Send me your mailing address:Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.When you contact me, please give the title of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.

Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.If you didn't win and you plan to order the book, please use the link provided on the individual interview. By using that link when you order, you will help support this blog.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Thank you, dear readers. You make this blog what it is. I love reading your comments and my guests are happy to connect with you.

Since this is one of the most important holiday seasons of the year, we haven't had quite as many interviews post this week. We will announce winners tomorrow, but our next author interview will be on Monday. Today I want to share one of the Christmas stories I wrote several years ago as a gift from me to you. It has been used as a dramatic monologue as well.

Surely a
Gift From God

Lena Nelson Dooley

Yahweh,
I do not know why it is so hard to understand your ways. Eli has studied the
scriptures and shared with me the many wonders about you in them. We have tried
to live by all your laws . . . but there is so much I cannot understand . . .
especially about Mary.

Mary,
the joy of my heart. When you blessed our marriage with her, my mother’s heart
nearly burst. Even as a tiny baby, she was different . . . so pretty everyone
mentioned it. Of course I was proud of her. Hadn’t she come from the great love
Eli and I have for one another? Everything I did for her was such a pleasure .
. . and she rewarded me with her sweet smiles. She would gurgle with laughter
at the slightest attention. Yes, the whole family enjoyed caring for Mary.

A
more obedient child I have never known. She thrived on pleasing Eli and me . .
. and so smart she was. So young when she could sew a fine straight seam. And
no one surpassed her cooking after she learned. I preferred her bread even over
my own. I knew she would not be mine very long.

Oh
yes, I saw Joseph studying her. At first, he was amused by her. Then a light
began to show in his eyes when he looked at her. He thought no one noticed, but
a mother sees. I knew he was waiting for her to grow up.

I
hoped she would be one of the girls who takes a little longer becoming a woman
. . . so young she was when the bloom of life touched her. I hoped no one would
know for a while, but I saw the startled expression in Joseph’s eyes when next he saw
her.

Very
soon Eli told me Joseph had spoken to him about Mary. I was not sorry it was
Joseph. Such a good carpenter. He would be able to provide for Mary and their
children as Eli had always provided for us. I had wondered why Joseph had not
married sooner. He had been established for several years. I think I had known
a long time that he was waiting for Mary to grow up, but I did not want it to
be so soon.

Their
betrothal was such a special time. Mary was busy sewing fine linens for their
home and clothing for herself as Joseph built furniture for them. Mary shared
their plans with me. After all, I am her mother. Joyfully, I helped her.

I
cannot pinpoint the exact time I knew something was different about Mary, but I
knew long before she talked to her father and me. I could see the change in
her, but could not explain it. I even thought I was imagining it.

The
day she talked to Eli and me was a very busy day. She called each of us from an
important task. As she began to talk, I knew by her second sentence that she
was going to have a child. You remember, Yahweh, I prayed in my heart, “Oh
Yahweh, no, anything but that, please. It would break her father’s heart. She
has been the apple of his eye.”

Her
story was hard to believe. We knew that the scriptures told of visitations from
angels, but that was long ago. We did not know anyone who had seen one.

It
would have been easier to believe that Joseph could not wait to have her. I
know how strongly a man desires a woman. He had waited so long for her to grow
up. It has happened before . . . but when she told Joseph, he was so upset. I
knew the baby was not his. Maybe her story is true.

I
was so hurt buy the talk after she returned from visiting Elizabeth. Other mother had been jealous of
Mary for years. She was so much prettier than their daughters, and she did
things so well. The story of a visitation from an angel to explain a baby
coming too soon was convenient. No one believed it for a minute. I dreaded
going to market or to the well. I could hear the whispering that stopped as
soon as they saw me. No one would say anything to my face. My heart broke for
my sweet Mary . . . and for my pain as her mother.

Then
when the child came, I was not even with her. She and Joseph were in Bethlehem. I told her not
to go. She could have stayed with us while Joseph went to register in the
census, but she would not be parted from him. I even told him the journey would
be hard on her and the baby, but would they listen to a mother?

When
they decided to stay in Bethlehem,
I could not stand it. At least Eli agreed to let me accompany him on this
business trip. I had to see my grandchild.

Now,
Yahweh, I am holding this tiny baby boy. I still do not know if Mary’s story is
true. He looks enough like Joseph to be his son. Yet there is something about
him. Not just because he is my grandchild. Surely he is a gift from you.

Of
course, every child is a gift from you. Maybe he is something more. Right now
only you and Mary know for sure.

As
for me, I am going to love him, and tell him how special he is. The rest is up
to you.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you
see on the horizon?

I have been praying about where God would lead me next in my
writing ministry. My passion is to continue impacting lives for Christ through
my novels. As far as what I see on the horizon, I have a couple other series of
books that I have started that I am looking forward to seeing them to
completion.

Tell us a little about your family.

I have been married to my husband, Lon, for 19 years (we
married really young!) and we have two elementary-aged daughters.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

With deadlines, I have less time to read. However, I still
do find time to read and have read some wonderful novels by fellow Christian
authors lately. I have been an avid reader since the time I could read, and I
consider reading a relaxing and enjoyable pastime.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on a series that takes place just after the
Civil War. I have completed the first novel and am working on the second.

What outside interests do you have?

I love to spend time with my family and friends. I also
enjoy volleyball, hiking, camping canoeing, bicycling, and gardening.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’ve always enjoyed learning about the 1800s, and I have long
been intrigued by the beauty and history of the State of Montana, so I was excited to set a series in
that state. My family and I visit Montana
regularly and one year traveled throughout the entire state and stopped at a
ghost town, which gave me a lot of inspiration for my series. The other series
of books I am working on take place in other states and I have learned so much
about their histories while writing those books as well.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person,
who would it be and why?

Definitely Jesus. I would love to sit in His Presence and
learn all I could from Him. I would also thank Him continually for what He did
for me.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you
started writing novels?

How much time was going to be spent in marketing and
promoting those novels! As the saying goes…the hardest part starts after the book is published!

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

The Lord is teaching me more than ever to rely on Him in all
circumstances. He has also placed it in my heart to desire to be completely in
His will in my writing ministry and to be sensitive and open to His leading.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to
do to be successful?

Wow, Lena. This is a great
question! I would say the most important thing authors can do is to pray and
give their writing career to the Lord. Secondly, I would say to put others
first and to be an encourager of other writers. And not only an encourager to
other writers, but also an encourager to your readers. Connect with them and
let them know you appreciate them. Third, I would say it’s critical to build an
online presence in order to promote your book. This can be done a variety of
ways, including a website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, Shoutlife, and LinkedIn.

Tell us about the featured book.

Here is the blurb from Hailee: For years, orphan
Hailee Annigan was just a ragamuffin in the Cincinnati streets, stealing food to keep her
two younger brothers fed. Her thievery landed her in a home for delinquent
youngsters, where her life was changed, thanks to her teachers. Now,
nineteen-year-old Hailee excitedly heads to Montana to be a teacher, yet she's still
plagued by her shameful past and the fear of never seeing her brothers again.

Based on his upbringing in high-society Boston,
no one would have guessed that Maxwell Nathaniel Adams Jr. would attend
seminary and become a church pastor in rugged Montana. Even now, Nate's parents refuse to
put aside their own plans for his future and accept his calling.

When their paths converge, an immediate attraction draws Hailee and Nate
together, even as the pressures and demands of others pull them apart. Can the
unlikely pair come to terms with their pasts and face the future together?

Please give us the first page of the book.

July
1893

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hailee Annigan removed the discolored sheet of paper from
the community board in the train depot. Time and weather had faded the poster,
so the message was barely readable, but she had memorized the words:

Looking for Philip and Reuben Annigan.

If you have any information, kindly respond to:

Hailee Annigan

c/o Dot Pangbourn’s Boardinghouse

West
Eberlee Street, Cincinnati,
Ohio

She crumpled the paper in her hand and stuffed it into her
purse. In its place, she posted the notice she’d written that morning, then
stepped back to make sure it would be conspicuous to people passing by or
preparing to board a train.

Looking for Philip and Reuben Annigan.

If you have any information, kindly respond to:

Hailee Annigan

c/o PineHavenSchool

Pine Haven, Montana

For the past several years, she had replaced the posting
every month, two times in order

to
alter the address where she could be located if someone knew of her brothers’
whereabouts.

Hailee swallowed hard to hold back her tears. She didn’t
want to leave Cincinnati
and diminish her chances of ever finding her younger brothers. However, she
knew that a change in location would do her heart good, and that she was
following God’s prompting to fulfill the dream she’d had in her heart since she
was a young girl.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com